Oct 2003 Journal

Central Office for Holocaust Claims

Hungarian compensation claims - a clarification
Two of the most recent pieces of legislation in Hungary, laws adopted in 1992 and 1997, have provided some compensation for Holocaust victims. The 1992 law (to cover the enforced wearing of a yellow star and confinement in a ghetto or concentration camp) provided $50 worth of local vouchers to survivors that had to be spent in Hungary. The deadline for the 1997 legislation 'Compensation for Loss of Life by Political Persecution' was limited to survivors who had already applied for and received their first payments. Applications had to be submitted between 7 June and 7 October 1997.

The amount of compensation was very small: Hungarian Forint or HF 30,000 - approx. £130. Under decree 46/2000 AB (XII.14), the Hungarian Constitutional Court increased the amount from HF 30,000 to HF 400,000 (approximately £1,500) as a one-off payment for loss of life of victims. This sum is available only to claimants who applied in 1997: no further claims will be accepted. These applicants will be notified and paid at the address provided in the 1997 claim.

Heirs of recipients who have died since the1997 disbursement are likewise eligible and should contact the bureau. The address of the Hungarian Central Claims Bureau is: